help me troubleshoot my SA

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - help me troubleshoot my SA

Posted: 9/15/2005 12:40:51 PM EDT

picked up a USED full-size that I was interested in at the store because of its super-light trigger.

took it to the range today and ran 20 rounds of speer gold dots and win white box, all 230 grain.
zero ftf, zero fte...great on those two counts.

the trouble happened at least once every magazine.

I'd shoot a round, it would eject the spent case, I'd go to squeeze the trigger for the next shot only to hear a "click" and see that the hammer was already down. For some magazines, it did this literally every shot...other times, I could string together 4 or 5 rounds between this type of failure. Again, the gun fed the bullets from the magazine into the chamber flawlessly, and ejected every case with no problems.

Any guesses as to what the problem is?

Thanks

Posted: 9/15/2005 12:48:11 PM EDT

[#1]

STOP SHOOTING THE GUN.

It sounds like you have a case of hammer follow. Usually happens when the sear engagement is off, often as a result of home gunsmithing. In bad cases, the gun will go full auto.

GET IT FIXED BY A PRO.

unless of course I'm reading it wrong, and the hammer is dropping on an empty chamber?

Posted: 9/15/2005 12:56:58 PM EDT

[#2]

yeah, I stopped halfway through the box of winchester FMJ. I didn't want to push my luck.

sounds like a good thing...a full auto handgun isn't anything I'm prepared to deal with, though it'd be fun!

I plan on taking it in to a smith in the next week or two...I don't want to abandon the gun altogether because it was certainly a sweet shooter. It was doing real good (ragged hole) despite me not being 100% focused on accuracy every time I shot.

Posted: 9/15/2005 12:57:48 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
picked up a USED full-size that I was interested in at the store because of its super-light trigger.

ding,ding,ding {warning bell}

... I'd go to squeeze the trigger for the next shot only to hear a "click" and see that the hammer was already down................

Any guesses as to what the problem is?

Thanks

What's happened is a home hacksmith trigger job. Mall-Ninja is right, STOP SHOOTING THE GUN

You need to take it to a 1911 smith and have the sear/hammer engaugment surfaces checked, odds are you're gonna need a new sear and hammer.

Posted: 9/15/2005 1:03:03 PM EDT

[#4]

[
You need to take it to a 1911 smith and have the sear/hammer engaugment surfaces checked, odds are you're gonna need a new sear and hammer.

+1. Home gunsmithing is the #1 killer of 1911s.
Look at replacing both sear and hammer with Chip McCormick parts. My was 'smithed in 1985 and the trigger is still as smooth as when I brought it home.

Posted: 9/15/2005 1:05:15 PM EDT

[#5]

Thanks for the advice, all.

Probably a dumb question here...I agree that somebody has messed with the sear and it needs replacement, but why the hammer, also? I guess I don't understand the internal workings well enough to know why somebody would modify the hammer.

About how much $ will a hammer & sear cost? I like the Chip McCormick suggestion.

Posted: 9/15/2005 1:09:32 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Thanks for the advice, all.

Probably a dumb question here...I agree that somebody has messed with the sear and it needs replacement, but why the hammer, also? I guess I don't understand the internal workings well enough to know why somebody would modify the hammer.

About how much $ will a hammer & sear cost? I like the Chip McCormick suggestion.

The hammer and sear contact each other. The sear contacts a notch on the hammer, which holds it in the cocked position. Pulling the trigger pivots the sear away from the hammer, out of the notch, letting the hammer rotate to strike the firing pin.

A trigger job usually involves altering both surfaces. Damage to one will result in damage to the other, since they contact each other. Since you're paying for a pro to handle things for you, just be safe and have both replaced.

Posted: 9/15/2005 1:12:26 PM EDT

[#7]

That's exactly how I'd want it explained to me...thanks.

I thought at first that the recoil spring was maybe too stiff and the gun was "short stroking", but that didn't make sense because the gun was ejecting all of its rounds with no problem.

I appreciate the insight and advice everyone's offered.

Posted: 9/15/2005 1:26:58 PM EDT

[#8]

leakycow If this is to be a serious self defense firearm my preferance in hammer & sear parts would be Ed Brown hardcore or Wilson Bullet proof. You pay more but then you get what you pay for.

Posted: 9/15/2005 2:36:13 PM EDT

[#9]

hmm...self defense purposes? yes. but it's not my bedside handgun (that'd be a HK USP).

I guess my question is this:

how much better than the factory SA hammer/sear is the McCormick? And how much better than that is the Brown or Wilson?

Posted: 9/15/2005 2:41:18 PM EDT

[#10]

The McCormick would be about the same and the Brown or Wilson would be "Can't get no Better"

Posted: 9/15/2005 2:45:02 PM EDT

[#11]

Thanks, SGB. I keep coming with the questions...

I visited Midway's website to look at the parts, and they're quite affordable. I will probably get a wilson hammer and a matching sear and have a smith install them. That's way beyond my capabilities.

A few of the links I clicked on for various brands' hammers and such suggested buying a new trigger, too. Should I assume that the trigger's fine on my gun and just get the sear & hammer? Should I let the smith take a look at it before buying parts?

Thanks again

Posted: 9/15/2005 2:46:54 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
The McCormick would be about the same and the Brown or Wilson would be "Can't get no Better"

I'm running Wilson and Brown parts in my Les Baer

Posted: 9/15/2005 3:12:35 PM EDT

[#13]

I would think that most likely your trigger is just fine. I would probably go ahead and order your choice of sear and hammer and then let your gunsmith of preference take a peek at it. He will be able to tell you if there is anything else that needs replacing.

Posted: 9/15/2005 3:26:01 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
I would think that most likely your trigger is just fine. I would probably go ahead and order your choice of sear and hammer and then let your gunsmith of preference take a peek at it. He will be able to tell you if there is anything else that needs replacing.

That's the plan.

Thanks to all...I'll let you know (in a few weeks) what comes of it.

Posted: 9/15/2005 4:46:26 PM EDT

[#15]

STI hammer and sear from brownells

Posted: 9/15/2005 5:12:46 PM EDT

[#16]

Ummm... perhaps starting with a less expensive solution might be in order. While it is certainly possible (likely) that the problem is the hammer/sear contact, it could also be the sear spring. I had one that did this and two trips to my local smith couldn't eliminate the problem. Before I gave up on the gun, I noticed that the sear spring had obviously been bent and filed. I ordered a "Bullet Proof" Wilsons replacement and that cured it immediately and permanently. I've shot over 1000 rounds since this and there has not been a single hint of hammer follow.

Posted: 9/15/2005 5:14:31 PM EDT

[#17]

Before you start dropping money on replacement parts, the problem could be as simple as needed to re-adjust the tension of the trigger/sear/ grip safety spring and check the recoil spring to confirm that it is the correct tension for the ammo being used.

My bet is that the hammer and sear surfaces are fine, it's that that the sear and trigger bar/disco spring tension is set too light, and compounded by the pistol set up to shoot target loads (read under recoil sprung) causing more than normal recoil of the slide to frame.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - help me troubleshoot my SA

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